This invention relates to treatments of senile dementia of the Alzheimer's type.
A new class of spasmolytics is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,996,245; 4,308,282; and 4,125,623. The tertiary amines disclosed in these three patents are all reported to have a strong and prolonged spasmolytic effect on the smooth musculature of the gastrointestinal tract, the urogenital tract and the bronchial system.
It has recently been reported in Science 228:115 (1985) that senile dementia of the Alzheimer's type is characterized by low levels of certain neuroreceptors in the brain. It has been found that the tertiary amines of the type reported useful for controlling spasmolytic activity in smooth musculature can be useful in relieving certain symptoms of senile dementia of the Alzheimer's type caused by the low levels of these neuroreceptors.
For a review of suggested treatments for Alzheimer's syndrome, see Crook T. and Gershon S. Strategies for the Development of an Effective Treatment for Senile Dementia, Mark Prowley Associates, New Canaan, Conn., 1981.